THE
WOMAN’S CLUB OF COLLEGEPORT
invite you and your family to join us for the 103rd
Annual Collegeport Day Celebration. This homecoming event
is always observed on the last Saturday of May. Mark your
calendar for Saturday, May 28, 2011. Dinner will be
served at 12:00 Noon at Mopac House. Please
bring a side dish, salad or dessert to complement our
traditional barbecued beef. Iced tea and paper goods are
provided. Arrive early and lend a hand to help make this a
memorable occasion.

THANK YOU TO
ALL
who give of their time, talents and support to continue this
community tradition.
barbecued beef has been a Collegeport Day Tradition since
1945.
In addition to the donations of individuals to purchase beef
for the barbecue, the sale of barbecue at the pit is the
primary means of meeting the expenses of sponsoring this
event. This year the cost of beef is up considerably, so
please remember that it is through your free-will giving
that this tradition continues. The ladies at the
registration table will direct you to the person you need to
see about specific donations toward the barbecue,
supplies/seasonings, paper goods and miscellaneous expenses,
or to help fund building maintenance, repairs and other
fixed costs.

OUR
HISTORICAL PHOTO SLIDESHOWHAS BEEN a popular attraction in recent years, and
will be set up in the Library. Each year, more and more
photos have been shared so that all can enjoy viewing our
community’s historic past. If you have photos or other
documents that relate Collegeport history, please bring them
with you on Collegeport Day. We can scan things you want to
share so you can return home with your originals. An
extensive collection of historical Collegeport information
and photos is also displayed online and may be accessed
through the following link:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/collegeport.htm

COLLEGEPORT FOR KIDS

On November 16,
2010, two groups of Van Vleck Texas History students toured
the Mopac House and Library as part of a field trip to
several Matagorda County communities. Yvonne Evans, a Texas
History teacher, organized the tour. Mason Holsworth,
representing the MHF, and Carol Sue Gibbs of the Matagorda
County Historical Commission greeted students. Carol Sue
narrated the PowerPoint presentation “Collegeport for
Kids.” This slide show was the prototype for a “Virtual
Fieldtrip,” which will be

expanded to
include many areas of the county. The collection is
entitled Matagorda County for Kids.

This collection
of slide shows illustrates the history of Matagorda County
towns and communities. Since budget cuts and fuel prices
limit field trips as a teaching tool, this program was
designed to be used in the classroom to introduce students
to their local history. Matagorda County for Kids
was presented to all county schools and was one of several
projects of the Matagorda County Historical Commission in
2010 for which it was presented the Distinguished Service
Award by the Texas Historical Commission. The
presentations are available for viewing by everyone at:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/kids_county.htm

Among
Collegeport’s most memorable and beloved residents were
Hattie and Hugo Kundinger. The couple was devoted to each
other and to the Collegeport Community. Many who never met
Hattie or Hugo feel a deep affection for them because their
memory lives on through those who knew them. Everyone loved
Hattie & Hugo! Their impression on the Collegeport
Community--and beyond is unmistakable. Recently, Christina
“Chris” (Hubert) Murat, a great-grand niece of Hugo
Kundinger was ‘discovered’ through a genealogical piece she
had posted about the Hubert Family on the internet. Through
correspondence, she related that her family had photos and
stories of Collegeport to share. Chris, her father and
uncle are planning to attend Collegeport Day this year. The
photos herein are among those shared with us. Chris also
gave a copy of Dena Hurd’s book “The History and Genealogy
of The Family of Hurd in the United States.” [Privately
published in 1910] The book was presented to Mr. & Mrs. G
Hubert by the author at Collegeport Texas, August
twenty-sixth, 1919.

According to the
Hubert family history, Hugo Kundinger’s sister, Clara,
married George A. Hubert. George was a traveling tire
salesman based out of Oklahoma in 1918. When the influenza
epidemic broke out there, George became aware that at one
point everyone in the home office had died, and he wanted to
protect his family. He was terrified his family would get
sick so he left the company car, telephoned the home office
its location, and resigned his position. He had sent his
brother-in-law, Hugo Kundinger on a trek to find a good
place to relocate. When Hugo found Collegeport, he wrote
back that he had found "heaven on earth.” George, Clara and
Hugo, along with George, Jr. and Clara’s daughter, Ruth.
settled in Collegeport. Once there, the family lived in a
tent until

they had better accommodations. Hugo bought the Collegeport
Pharmacy from the Hoffmans, and the 1920 Census listed Hugo
as living in Collegeport with George and Clara (Kundinger);
Hugo listed as Retail Merchant—Drug Store; age 46. The
whole family would have stayed, but Clara was stricken with
breast cancer, so George moved his family to Houston where
she could see better doctors. They started a furniture
business in what is now downtown Houston.

In the early 1920’s the
Turner Rice and Irrigation Company took over the Collegeport
Warehouse and Commission Company and built several homes for
laborers just south of Collegeport. This area became known
as Turnerville. The plan was to develop rice production on
the lands south of Collegeport. Hugo moved the Collegeport
Pharmacy to its site at Turnerville on Oyster Lake Road
where most remember

it. This shifted the town
center South and East. Hattie and Hugo were married
in the Presbyterian Church in 1922 by Rev. Buchanan. They
were civic-minded and active in their church. Hattie had
come to Collegeport as a girl with her father and
step-mother, V. R. and Ida Haisley, and two of Mr. Haisley’s
nephews, Haisley and Luther Mills. Hattie and her family
were Charter Members of the First Church of
Collegeport—Federated and later of The First Presbyterian
Church of Collegeport. She was an active member of the
Woman’s Club and the King’s Daughters organization, where
she served as its Treasurer. As a girl and throughout her
life, Hattie enjoyed sports. She was an avid baseball
player in her youth and in later years enjoyed
bowling—sometimes taking the Johnson twins bowling in El
Campo. She would pick up the teenagers and away they’d go.
They were amazed that Miss Hattie bowled with a 12-pound
ball. As an Elder, Hugo served as Clerk of Session and as
Treasurer. He was also a Director of the Collegeport
Industrial League, and at one time served as its Treasurer.
He was an original Trustee of the Mopac House Foundation,
and served as its first Treasurer. Hugo painted the “MOPAC
HOUSE” sign for its grand opening in 1935 that still hangs
over the entrance.

H. A. Clapp described his
friend Hugo as genial and goodhearted in one of his columns,
and often referred fondly to Hattie as well. Hugo was also
Director of the Collegeport Telephone Company and
Postmaster. He enjoyed fishing. News articles noted that
he cooked oyster stew for many civic occasions. He once
baked and decorated a birthday cake for Mr. Clapp. Clapp
reported in his news articles that Hugo “invented” soda
fountain treats—the “Collegeport Special” is one in
particular. Hattie and Hugo, though they had no children of
their own, held a special place in the hearts of many.
Their nieces and nephews affectionately remember visiting
the drug store and being treated to candy, ice cream and
sodas.

The fountain drinks settled many an upset tummy and many
remember getting candy when their mom or dad came in to pay
the monthly account. The Drug Store had a telephone and
Hattie received and delivered messages to those who didn’t
have telephones. The Post Office was inside the Drug Store,
and it has been said that Hugo was once heard asking,
“Hattie, are you done with the post cards?” A slight giggle
could be heard from behind the window when something of
interest was ‘posted.’

Hugo & Hattie Kundinger

The Collegeport Pharmacy's
specialty was Hugo and Hattie's "Sodalicious Ice Cream."
The recipe for their pineapple ice cream appeared in the
1956 Collegeport Cookbook and was reprinted in the
Collegeport Treasures Cookbook in 2003. The compilers of the
first cookbook, after finally convincing Miss Hattie to give
them the ice cream recipe, always suspected that she
withheld a secret ingredient. After all, a recipe is a trade
secret, and Hattie, being a shrewd business woman wanted to
keep her ‘edge.’

Chris Murat,
great-granddaughter of Hugo's sister, Clara, has finally
solved the recipe mystery. She said Hattie reduced the
amount of milk by one pint and substituted it with heavy
cream. She says that they make the treat for special
occasions and think of Hattie & Hugo. Many of you have
memories of Hattie and Hugo that could be recorded for
posterity. Please relate your memories and stories so
that we may compile them into an album for the Mopac House.
In this way, all may know this memorable couple, and how
they touched our lives!

The following article about
Hattie and Hugo was published in Historic Matagorda
County, Volume II, pages 297-298.

Hugo and Hattie "Miss
Hattie" Kundinger lived in their home attached to their Drug
Store on Oyster Lake Road about a mile east and south of
Collegeport. The Drug Store was famous in the area for its
marble soda

fountain and for its "ice
cream" tables and chairs. The soda fountain had a carbonated
water faucet growing out of the marble counter like a tree,
curving up gracefully and becoming a lamp. They had a buzzer
hooked up on the door so when opened, the buzzer sounded off
in their living quarters. Mr. Hugo died in 1952 and Miss
Hattie continued to run the Drug Store. In 1959, Leon Hale
of the Houston Post interviewed her for his column.
Following are some quotes from the column:

"I can't get parts for this
fountain equipment any more," said Miss Hattie...
"That faucet won't fizz any more, you see. And when I run
out of carbonated gas I put the tank on a set of rockers and
mix it up."

Miss Hattie came with her family in 1908 to Collegeport,
when it was being developed. "Burton D. Hurd was the
main developer of Collegeport." Miss Hattie said: "When the
town was beginning, Mr. Hurd would take people around, show
them this piece of land and that piece, and stop and gather
everybody around him and make a speech. My, how that man
could talk. That's his home down there, the black one, close
to the Post Office. Mr. Bob Smith from Houston bought it and
had it remodeled."

"Lots of people
think Collegeport was blown away by a storm. No such thing.
We've had storms, but I don't know of a single building that
ever blew down.

"Why, we had
three hotels here at one time, and a big pavilion on the
bay, and three lumber yards and the Missouri Pacific
Railroad and about 1000 people. We had a basket lunch at the
pavilion one day, with a table for each state, and there
were so many people at the Kansas table I had to sit with
the Texas folks. The reason Collegeport went down, the rice
land played out, and the farmers left and took all the young
folks with them. They came back and started the rice up
again in 1922, and learned to fertilize it, and now they
keep it in rice. The hotels are gone now. Man named Weborg,
Albert I think his name was, tore down his hotel, hauled it
to Houston and rebuilt it just as it was here.

Leon Hale asked,
"What would you do, Miss Hattie, if a hurricane came
whistling in, aimed right at Collegeport?" "Why," she said,
"I'd just button up and stay right here."

September 11,
1961 Hurricane "Carla" destroyed Miss Hattie's Drug Store
and home. The tidal wave washed away and damaged the
property. She built a small home with attached garage on her
store property and lived there until her death, May 23,
1964.

Where, now, can
you get a real "soda?" Where can you sit in a curved back
chair at a tiny round table in a drug store, windows and
doors open for ventilation, dust from the southeast breeze
on the floor the smell of old medicines and coke fizzing in
your nose?

Colleen Claybourn – 1984

The following excerpts from the Matagorda County Tribune,
Century of Progress Edition, August 26, 1937, Section 7,
Pages 1 and 7, tell about the first scout troop in Matagorda
County which was organized in Collegeport by H. A. Clapp in
1912.

MEMORIES OF AN OLD SCOUT
by Harry Austin Clapp

In 1912 the Scout movement
was only two years old in America and as I read about it in
the press I had a desire to organize a patrol in
Collegeport, so made application. It was granted and in
July, 1912, I received my commission as a Scoutmaster. A
troop was organized and we had two patrols. Every member was
in uniform and fully equipped with such items were required.

This was the first Scout
organization in Matagorda County and I was the first
Scoutmaster. I taught the boys how to make an Indian fire,
to make damper bread and stick bread, to make coffee in a
tin can, to broil beef on a willow stick, how to pack corn
in the shuck, with potatoes and a chicken or fish heavily
coated with clay and all packed in a red hot pit. I took
them on hikes and taught them how to tie the bowline, braid
and splice rope. First aid was given special attention and
many other things too numerous for my space. We took long
hikes, sometimes twenty to fifty miles, each boy packing
half a pup tent with their outfit. No hard roads those days.
Most of the hike was cross country and we used the scout
pace. We hiked fifteen minutes, rested five, and made good
time. At a river we shucked off our duds and had a splash.

Our most pretentious hike
was a trip to Galveston when the Intracoastal Canal was
opened. We hired a boat and the trip was financed by the
business men of the burg and easily financed. We started
early Saturday morning with Mrs. Clapp as hostess. Some of
the boys had never been outside the county and were amazed
at street cars, elevators, etc…We made Galveston without any
trouble but high sea and took our place in the water parade
reviewed by the governor and staff from the deck of an
anchored ship. Tied up at dock and marched to the Galvez
Hotel where, with the management's permission, we made camp
on the lawn close to the hotel. The manager gave us free
toilet and bath privileges in the hotel. Strict discipline
was exacted and no boy was allowed to leave camp alone.
Always two. Bathing, picture shows and other entertainments
furnished recreation. The Scouts stood at attention and were
addressed by Governor Colquitt and C. S. E. Holland,
president of the canal association. The night of the grand
parade was an exciting evening. The parade was on the sea
wall boulevard and from Galvez Hotel to Fort Crockett. First
the U. S. Army Band of about 100 pieces--then the
Scoutmaster in uniform with Roy Miller at his side leading
the Scouts, and then about 2, 000 U. S. soldiers with
perhaps two more bands. Say, Boy Scouts, that was a grand
parade and we were a proud bunch. When we returned, the Army
gave a drill to music and my Scouts gave their staff drill
to the strains of "The Trail of the Lonesome Dove." Nine
days of great fun, never an accident, no illness, great fun
at all times. World War I broke up my troop, for about all
the boys joined some branch of federal service.

Troop No. 2 Boy Scouts of America
Collegeport, Texas

This photo of Collegeport
Boy Scout Troop #2 was recently shared with us via the
internet. The person who has the photo was curious about
the identities of the scouts and when the photo may have
been taken. Please let us know if you have information
regarding this photo or if you have more information about
Boy Scouts in Collegeport. Russell Corporon related that W.
L. Ellis and U. S. McMillan were the Scoutmasters when he
was a Boy Scout in the early 1950’s. We’d like to hear more
about the scouting program in Collegeport. Please share
your stories, photos or other recollections so that they may
be included in our archive.

Improvements at Mopac House

It has been a busy year
since last Collegeport Day. The cracked and buckled dining
hall floor is no more! For a number of years, the strategic
placement of tables has masked the irregularities in the
floor that had developed over the 75 years that Mopac House
has been our community center. Thanks to the planning and
work of both the Mopac House Foundation Trustees, the
Marshall Construction Company, and through the generosity of
The Trull Foundation of Palacios for a $22,000.00 grant, the
replacement and enhancement of the foundation and floor of
Mopac House is now a reality! The original shell-crete
floor was replaced with a steel reinforced concrete slab for
a cost of $26,871,08. Some of the sill plates still need
repair. Much volunteer work went into the project to clear
out the building. Furnishings, tables and chairs were stored
at Franzen’s barn during the construction process. After
the floor had cured, volunteers helped move everything back
in and re-hang the pictures and other items that were
removed. Thanks to Precinct 3 Commissioner James Gibson’s
crew for loading and hauling off the rubble. Once this
project was completed, a second phase of renovations to the
walkways began. Through the generosity of the Palacios
Community Foundation, a grant of $10,000.00

was awarded to the MHF in
December, 2010. This spring, the outdoor walkways and
sidewalks were replaced with new steel-reinforced concrete
walks, and a sidewalk was extended to the east parking
area. Many hours of volunteer labor and equipment use
helped reshape the lawn to implement drainage. The entire
lawn was tilled and leveled and volunteers laid new sod to
complete the walkway project. At one point, 18 volunteers
and workers were on hand to lay out the sod. Then came
weeks of watering amid the arid conditions to establish the
new lawn.

THANK YOU to all who participated in these improvement
projects.

Pouring the new floor

Forms and re-bar in
place

Russell Corporon & Gary
McKenzie at work

Mopac House with new
walks and lawn.

The Mopac House
Foundation a non-profit corporation, recognized by the IRS
as a public charity. Its mission and purpose is to manage
and maintain the Mopac House and grounds for the benefit and
use of the residents of the community. The Mopac House
Foundation is exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section
501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions
to the MHF are deductible under section 170 of the code.

Early
picture of Oyster Lake Road Business at Turnerville

(1.)
Matagorda Bay Warehouse & Commission Company founded by F.
D. Yott & C. G. Mapes with (2.) railroad boxcar on the
siding. (The railroad shut down in 1933) (3.) Store and
hardware business operated by Verner Bowers, and later by W.
V. & Vera Batchelder. Possibly J. R. Murry had a Meat Market
here. (4.) A. G. Hunt blacksmith shop. (5.) Collegeport
Pharmacy owned by Hugo and Hattie Haisley Kundinger, moved
to this location from Central St. (c 1922.)

Photo
courtesy of the Hubert family.

We look forward to
seeing you on May 28.
Please direct any correspondence to
share ideas, news, information or photos to gfranzen@tisd.net
or mail to: